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The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and conductor Daniel Raiskin.

Review | Alexei Volodin’s Astonishing Rachmaninoff with the VSO

By Madeline Boldt on 25 February 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Orchestral, Piano, Vancouver

Astonished. That is the word that comes to mind when watching pianist Alexei Volodin work his magic. I could go on and on about the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra—they never fail to leave me breathless—but Volodin added a level of majesty that elevated the performance from breathtaking to exquisite. The Russian pianist joined the VSO for a series of concerts (heard Feb. 22) that included Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Volodin is described as “acclaimed for his highly sensitive touch and technical brilliance”. His repertoire is almost as extensive as his resume, having performed with countless orchestras internationally, from the Hiroshima…

(L to R) Roseline Blain, Léa Moisan-Perrier, François Ouimet, and Josée Fortin

Alliance Chorale de Québec: Round-Table Discussion on Choir Conducting

By Heather Weinreb on 25 February 2025 Arts Industry, Choral, Employment, Montreal, Vocal

On February 19, Alliance Chorale de Québec hosted a round-table discussion on choir conducting. Marc-Antoine d’Aragon moderated the discussion between choir conductors Roseline Blain, François Ouimet, Josée Fortin and Léa Moisan-Perrier. The ins and outs of the life of a choir conductor—from negotiating proper salaries to finding work-life balance—were touched upon. Here are the key points of the discussion: A Role with Many Hats The discussion on the role of a choir conductor quickly turned into a discussion on the role of an artistic director. While a choir conductor is responsible for studying scores and communicating musical ideas in a…

Marc-André Hamelin (piano) and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal conducted by Rafael Payare. Photo: Antoine Saito

Review | Marc-André Hamelin & OSM Swing in The Roaring Twenties

By Amanda Wong on 24 February 2025 Canadian Music, Concert Reviews, Jazz, Montreal, Orchestral

The Roaring Twenties was an age of dramatic social and economic change, fabulous fashion, and of course, great music. A century onwards, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal celebrated the 1920s with Montreal native Marc-André Hamelin on keys and Rafael Payare conducting in an evening of jazz, swing, and ragtime tunes popularized by the era. What you missed Hamelin’s dapper white jacket stood out in the spotlight as he played Edward Elzear “Zez” Confrey’s Kitten on the Keys solo on a small upright piano to the right of the stage, the program opener. The piece’s jaunty and ragtime feel imitated a cat…

TSO Invites Listeners to Discover a World of Sound in Globe-Spanning 2025/26 Season

By Newswire on 20 February 2025 Classical Music, Newswire, Orchestral, Toronto, World Music

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is excited to announce its 2025/26 concert season—an array of extraordinary musical experiences featuring works and artists from across the globe. For what promises to be a year of unprecedented international attention on Toronto during the World Cup, Music Director Gustavo Gimeno has crafted a season that broadens cross-border creative connections. This diversity of programming is reflected in the TSO’s wide-ranging concert series—showcasing orchestral gems, new creative voices, widely played hits of the past and present, entertaining entry points for young audiences, and sweeping cinematic soundscapes—designed to appeal and speak to everyone. Highlights include the return of megastar pianist Lang…

COC’s 2025/2026 Season Blends Iconic Operas With Bold New Visions

By Newswire on 20 February 2025 Music Competition, Newswire, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2025/2026 season today featuring bold new productions, blockbuster audience favourites, and landmark works from two of Canada’s leading creative visionaries. The exciting mainstage season, to be presented at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, includes a new-to-Toronto staging of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, an all-new co-production of Massenet’s Werther, Verdi’s always popular Rigoletto, Rossini’s family-friendly The Barber of Seville, as well as Robert Carsen’s haunting adaptation of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and Robert Lepage’s captivating take on Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schoenberg’s Erwartung. “The Canadian Opera Company has long established itself as a global leader in artistic excellence,” says COC General Director David C. Ferguson.…

Les Violons du Roy conducted by Nicolas Ellis. Photo: Florence Geneau

Review | Kerson Leong Dazzles in Lopsided Les Violons du Roy Program

By Heather Weinreb on 18 February 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Montreal, Orchestral, Strings, Violin

For Valentine’s Day, Les Violons du Roy presented a program full of pathos at Montreal’s Bourgie Hall. On the program were iconic excerpts from J.S Bach’s religious choral works, as well as the rip-roaring premiere of Found in Lostness, a piece for solo violin and string orchestra by Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy. Bach and Murphy couldn’t be more different; the disparateness of their music was tied together with two Mendelssohn pieces. Mendelssohn’s earliest piece, the Symphonia for Strings composed when he was 14 years old, started off the concert. His last complete work, String Quartet no. 6 in F minor,…

Cast of Nanatasis. Photo: Kevin Calixte

20th Edition of Festival International de Casteliers

By Newswire on 18 February 2025 Montreal, Newswire, Scena Arts, Theatre

Montréal, January 22, 2025—Puppeteers, theatre fans, and specialists from around the world will be on hand to celebrate the 20th edition of Festival international de Casteliers, March 3 to 9, 2025. The festival line-up features remarkable creations from Belgium, France, Czechia, Germany, the United States, Québec, and Canada. Performances, a documentary film, a concert, exhibitions, professional networking events, workshops, and a parade will all contribute to the festive, artistic, and celebratory nature of this eagerly awaited annual event. Through gesture, material, images and movement, the selected works feature stories about nature and the creatures that inhabit it: poetic legends, quirky…

Shown left-right: Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang (photos submitted by the artist).

Pianists Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang Join COC’s Ensemble Studio

By Newswire on 18 February 2025 Classical Music, Piano, Toronto

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company welcomes Elisabeta Cojocaru and Kimly Mengyin Wang to the company’s Ensemble Studio as pianist coaches for the 2025/2026 season. Cojocaru is currently a pianist with McGill-Université de Montréal Vocal Arts Residency who has recently participated in festivals across North America and Europe including l’Académie vocale internationale de Lachine in Montréal, SongFest in Nashville, Opera Nuova in Edmonton, and Exzellenz Labor Oper in Germany. Wang’s extensive career spans solo recitals, chamber music, and opera performances across North America, Europe, and China; recently she served as a vocal coach at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and as a répétiteur for opera productions at the Boston University Opera Institute.…

Introducing the New Artists of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal!

By Newswire on 18 February 2025 Montreal, Music Competition, Opera, Piano, Vocal

Montreal, February 18, 2025 – The Opéra de Montréal is proud to announce the newest members of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, selected following the National Auditions finals at the annual Talent Gala on November 20. This year marks a significant milestone for the internationally renowned professional development residency with the introduction of a specialized training program for stage directors. The 2024 cohort will welcome five singers, one pianist, and one stage director for an intensive one- to two-year training program. – Tessa Fackelmann (mezzo-soprano – ON) – Ellita Gagner (mezzo-soprano – ON) – Colin Mackey (baritone -…

Festival Classica announces the programming of its 15th edition!

By Newswire on 17 February 2025 Classical, Classical Music, Montreal

Montréal, February 10, 2025 — Held over 24 days in the Longueuil urban agglomeration and also in Montréal, Festival Classica has since 2011 provided top-quality programming both in ticketed auditoria and large outdoor free concerts. Its newly minted slogan, “Classical unlimited” perfectly defines the identity the festival has forged over the past few years: with its many commissions of new works from Canadian composers (operas, concertos, chamber music), its grand symphonic rock concerts, its eco-responsible policy, its involvement in digital art, its digitalized scenery, its original programming and its international alliances, Festival Classica embodies and represents the age we live…

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